[6.3 Election] Kim Daejung Pledges 50.2 Billion Won 'Democracy Hall' and School Buses for 14,000 Households

Blueprint Unveiled Ahead of the 46th Anniversary of May 18

Collaboration with Residents of Gwangcheon, Sanjeong, Imdong, and Gaerim Districts

"Two-Track Solution: School Specialization and Official School Buses"

Kim Daejung, candidate for Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Superintendent of Education, unveiled a blueprint for a "Democratic Citizen Education Special City" one day ahead of the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement. At the same time, he has been actively engaging in wide-ranging policy activities, including meeting with residents of large apartment complexes in the city center to address educational issues.

According to Kim's campaign camp on May 17, the candidate plans to invest a total budget of 50.2 billion won by 2030 to build the "Democracy Hall" as part of his core educational vision of "learning from history, practicing in life, and nurturing citizens who act rightly."

Former candidate for Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Superintendent of Education Kim Daejung announced a blueprint for a "Special City for Democratic Civic Education" a day before the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising. Photo provided by the candidate's side

This facility will serve as a participatory constitutional education platform where citizens and youth can directly experience the principles of democracy through mock parliaments and mock constitutional trials. It will also be developed as an international hub for sharing democratic experiences with other Asian countries.

He also intends to establish the "Righteous History Experience Belt," which allows immersive, hands-on learning of the history of democratization and acts of justice throughout the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions. By incorporating digital technologies such as AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality), the initiative aims to enhance student engagement. Furthermore, he plans to operate delegated-type democratic citizen schools that utilize local expertise to provide experiential history education outside the classroom.

Alongside presenting a macro-level vision for democratic citizenship education, Kim has also rolled up his sleeves to improve real-life educational environments in response to urban redevelopment and changes in the school-age population.

Earlier, on May 6, Kim held a policy meeting with the "Gwangju Apartment Leaders Forum," a consultative body representing resident associations from 16 apartment complexes across four districts (Sanjeong, Gwangcheon, Imdong, Gaerim) in downtown Gwangju. On that day, he received a joint policy proposal reflecting the needs of approximately 14,000 households.

The four key agenda items proposed by residents included: ▲ Resolving commuting safety issues on the eight-lane roads in the Sanjeong area (Gwangsan District) and adjusting school district boundaries; ▲ Establishing a new high school and launching official school buses in response to large-scale development in the Gwangcheon area (Seo District); ▲ Creating an integrated elementary and middle school in the Imdong area (Buk District) linked to the redevelopment of textile sites; and ▲ Transitioning to a distance-based school district system along with modernizing old city center school facilities in the Gaerim area (Dong District).

In response, Kim put forward a two-track strategy of "school specialization" and "radical improvement of commuting systems." He stated, "By building specialized educational curriculums that highlight each school's strengths, I will create attractive schools that students and parents want to choose themselves. School specialization must go hand in hand with improving safe and convenient commuting systems, so I will actively operate official school buses."

Kim emphasized, "The Democracy Hall and Experience Belt will provide a strong foundation for our children to grow into future-oriented citizens equipped with conflict resolution skills and critical thinking. Housing and education policies must mesh like gears, and I will fulfill the administrative role to ensure that young people and students' families can settle stably in the region."

Meanwhile, Kim Daejung's campaign plans to actively reflect the gathered policy proposals in his pledges and will continue to communicate these agendas to the new Superintendent of the "Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City" administration, which will launch on July 1.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.